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Promise delivered as Zwartkops Passion for Speed serves-up humdinger
Packed venue treated to lots of action despite threatening rain and changeable conditions.
Hennie Groenewald (Mercury Comet) and Lee Thompson (Ford Galaxie) fought long and hard in the second race for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Legend Saloon Cars. Picture: Dave Ledbitter.
An enthusiastic crowd, tight competition and excellent spectacle typified Saturday’s 21st Passion for Speed circuit racing extravaganza at the Zwartkops Raceway.
Heading up proceedings was a 45-minute race for Castrol Pre-1966 Le Mans Sports and GT cars.
Veteran racer Warren Lombard drove his 1963 Ford-powered AC Cobra quickly and smoothly, did his mandatory three-minute pit stop during a yellow flag period and won the race.
He finished 20 seconds ahead of James Temple (Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe) with Peter Bailey (Ford GT40) and Josh Dovey (Ginetta) rounding out the top four.
The opening race for Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Legend Saloon Cars went to Martin Beyleveld (Chevrolet Camaro), ahead of Jeroen van den Heuvel (Ford Mustang) and Mark du Toit (Ford Fairlane).
Jeffrey Kruger (Plymouth Baracuda) won race two, chased to the flag by Hennie Groenewald (Mercury Comet) and Lee Thompson (Ford Galaxie).
Alan Poulter (Volvo 122 S) took the first Under Two-litre win from Carel Pienaar (Lotus Cortina) and Mark Miller (Alfa Rome Giulietta). Pienaar won race two ahead of Miller and Roger Houston (Alfa Romeo Giulia).
Dayne Angel (Porsche 911 GT2 R) won both races for G&H Transport Extreme Supercars from Jonathan du Toit (Lamborghini Huracan) and Ben Morgenrood (Lexus IS-F). In the process, Du Toit set the day’s quickest lap time of 59,72 seconds.
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Franco Scribante (Chevron B19) took both the races for pre-1974 Sports Prototypes from Jonathan du Toit (Chevron B8), with Hennie Groenewald (Chevrolet Camaro) and Peter Jenkins (Chevron B19) taking turns in third.
Both the HRSA Pre-1980 Saloon Car races went to Rudolf de Vos in his Chevrolet CanAm, ahead of Andre’ van der Merwe (Porsche 911 RSR) and Johann Smith (Mazda Capella).
Alan Poulter (Ford Corsair) won the first Marlboro Crane Hire Pre-1966 Little Giants race from Gary Stacey (Ford Cortina) and Terence Botes (Mini Cooper). Stacey won race two, followed by Botes and John ten Doeschate (Protea).
The first M Performance BMW race went to Andreas Meier (BMW E36), followed by Carlo Garbini (BMW 320i Turbo) and Salvi Giultieri (BMW E36). William Einkamerer (BMW E92) won race two, started from an inverted grid, from Carlo Garbini (BMW E46) and Meier.
Both the Roofsure Midvaal Historics races went to Willie Hepburn (Opel Rekord V8) followed in heat one by Rudolf de Vos (Chevrolet CanAm) and Dawie Olivier (Alfa GTV6).
De Vos crashed in race two with one lap to go in on pit straight, leaving Olivier in second, followed by Travis Jensen (Datsun 1200 GX).
Mackie Adlem (Jaguar XK8) led throughout to win the first Mobil 1 V8 Supercar race from Terry Wilford (Ford Falcon) and Franco di Matteo (Jaguar XK8). Di Matteo won the next time, from Adlem and Richard Fuller (Ford Mustang).
Andrew Horne (Royale) won the first Historic Single Seater race from Ben van der Westhuizen (Royale) and Alan Kernick (Tempest). Horne won race two as well, followed by Kernick and Patrick Dunseth (Merlin).
Thomas Falkiner (Taylon) won the first Lotus challenge race from champion Jeffrey Kruger (Birkin) and Rudi Barnard (Birkin). Kruger won race two from Falkiner and Mackie Adlem (Birkin).
Rounding out proceedings were two Charlies Superspar Pursuit races, the first of which went to Hedley Whitehead (Mini 1000) ahead of Robert Clark (Citroen GS) and Henk de Klerk (Honda Civic).
Rob van Aarle (Ford Escort) took race two from Clark and Mike O’Sullivan (Honda Ballade).
The next event at the Zwartkops Raceway will be a Regional Extreme Festival meeting on Saturday, 26 March.
